Monday, August 16, 2010

Another find at the antique emporium for a quid. Some nice ukulele playing on this one. Not much found on the internet but seems Charles Mauu was a Tahitian chief and had a film career of sorts , playing mostly bit parts.

Wikipedia says of the music of Polynesia -

"Throughout most of Polynesia, music has been influenced by European, American, South America and East Asian contact. The only major stronghold to hold to traditional culture without much evolution has been Samoa, which has pursued a relatively isolationist history.

Within songs, the lyrics are by far more important than the melodic accompaniment, which has been sometimes changed to Western pop music structures in modern times. Elements like rhythm, melody, harmony and dance are traditionally viewed as accompaniment to the primary focus, the lyrics, serving to embellish, illustrate and decorate the words. Indeed, a song sung to traditional melody is considered no more Polynesian than the same song sung to a modern imported melody.

Song and dance are integral parts of the same cultural elements throughout Polynesia. In action songs, dance is used to illustrate the lyrics by moving the hands or arms; some dances are performed seated. Traditionally, dance moves do not illustrate the song's narrative, but rather draw attention to specific words and themes; in modern times, however, dances are more often explicitly narrative in their focus. There are also traditional dances performed without lyrics, to the accompaniment of percussive music.

The most important instrument is the voice, though multiple varieties of slit drum and conch shells are also popular; the human body is used as an instrument, with clapping and knee-slapping used accompany songs and dances."

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Oddity found at an antique market recently mainly bought for the amusing sleeve of Stratford staring out rather scarily in the guise of his on-screen character Derective Barlow in the long running Z Cars series that I remember from my youth.He should have been arrested for murdering all these classic songs!

Wikipedia says -

"In 1948, he bought a one-way ticket to Britain ( from South Africa where he was born )and learned his craft working in repertory theatre at Southend-on-Sea for almost five years. He began to appear in British films from the mid-1950s, including a role in the classic Ealing comedy The Ladykillers (1955). He ran a small hotel in London during the 1950s, and was a member of the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre during the Angry Young Men period when new playwrights, including John Osborne, introduced new themes to British theatre. His most famous character, Barlow, was noted for his hard edges, owing much to the changes in characterisation pioneered at the Royal Court.

In 1962 he won the part of Barlow in Z-Cars and soon became one of the most familiar and popular faces on British television. During the long run (1962-1965) of Z-Cars, he transferred his character to the spin-off series, Softly, Softly (1966-1969), and later Softly, Softly: Taskforce (1969-1972). He also played the voice of the mysterious "Guvner" in "The Great St Trinians Train Robbery" (1966).

In the 1970s he starred in a third spin-off series, Barlow at Large (1971,1973), which saw the character transferred to British Intelligence: it was later retitled simply Barlow (1974-1975). Although the Barlow character remained popular (and appeared in another spin-off, in which he investigated the Jack The Ripper murders), ratings for these solo spin-offs declined, and the final series ended in 1975. Barlow was seen once more in 1976, in the series Second Verdict.

In 1973 Johns was named BBC TV Personality of the Year by the Variety Club of Great Britain. He also landed a cameo role as racist Namib mine sueprintendent Zimmerman in the mini-series Master of the Game, although he went uncredited for the role.

Johns later appeared in the much-maligned Ken Russell films Salome's Last Dance and The Lair of the White Worm (both 1988), followed by the title-character in the mid-1980s Channel 4 series Brond.

His many stage credits include Daddy Warbucks in the original West End run of Annie - he can be heard on the original London cast album - and the Ghost of Christmas Present in the original Birmingham cast of the stage adaptation of the film musical Scrooge (1970), on the recording of which he can also be heard. His guest appearances on TV include The Avengers, Department S, Neverwhere, the Doctor Who serial Four to Doomsday (1982) and the Blake's 7 episode "Games". He had a prominent role as Calpurnius Piso in the BBC's acclaimed adaptation of Robert Graves' I, Claudius (1976); he played Magwich in the BBC's 1981 adaptation of Dickens' Great Expectations, and the jailer in The Secret Life of Albie Sachs.

He was also the author of the children's book Gumphlumph; in the mid-1960s, at the height of his fame as Barlow, he read it on the children's television series Jackanory. Gumphlumph would be revived, again with Johns narrating, for the TV-am children's programme Rub-A-Dub-Tub in the 1980s."

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Another old Undercurrents show from Capital Radio in the early 80's. This time Charlie's guest is Tarquin Gotch who at the time was an A&R man for Arista but since then has moved on to film production. Tarquin plays a few of his picks for the indie charts including Scritti Politti and Jimmy Cliff. Again please forgive the poor state of the cassette from which this was taken - these tapes are over 25 years old.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

This LP from a remainder stall on Brick Lane was bought back in the 90's. Made in Holland on the EG label in 1981. Produced by Brian Eno. I guess this was around the time Brian was experimenting with "world music" with David Byrne and Talking Heads and projects like "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts". The music is typical afro-beat similar to Fela Kuti and other stars from Ghana and Nigeria at that time.

Wikipedia says -

"By the beginning of the 1970s, traditionally styled highlife had been overtaken by electric guitar bands and pop-dance music. Since 1966 and the fall of President Kwame Nkrumah, many Ghanaian musicians moved abroad, settling in the US, UK and Nigeria. Highlife bands like Okukuseku recorded in Lagos or Nigeria's eastern Igbo region. In 1971, the Soul to Soul music festival was held in Accra. Several legendary American musicians played, including Wilson Pickett, Ike and Tina Turner and Carlos Santana. With the exception of Mexican-American Santana, these American superstars were all black, and their presence in Accra was seen as legitimizing Ghanaian music. Though the concert is now mostly remembered for its role as a catalyst in the subsequent Ghanaian roots revival, it also led to increased popularity for American rock and soul. Inspired by the American musicians, new guitar bands arose in Ghana, including the Ashanti Brothers, Nana Ampadu & the African Brothers, The City Boys and more. Musicians such as CK Mann, Daniel Amponsah and Eddie Donkor incorporated new elements, especially from Jamaican reggae. A group called Wulomei also arose in the 1970s, leading a Ga cultural revival to encourage Ghanaian youths to support their own countrymen's music. By the 1980s, the UK was experiencing a boom in African music as Ghanaians and others moved there in large numbers. The group Hi-Life International was probably the most influential band of the period, and others included Jon K, Dade Krama, Orchestra Jazira and Ben Brako. In the middle of the decade, however, British immigration laws changed, and the focus of Ghanaian emigration moved to Germany.

The Ghanaian-German community created a form of highlife called Burger-highlife. The most influential early burgher highlife musician was George Darko, whose "Akoo Te Brofo" coined the term and is considered the beginning of the genre. Burgher highlife was extremely popular in Ghana, especially after computer-generated dance beats were added to the mix. The same period saw a Ghanaian community appear in Toronto and elsewhere in Canada. Pat Thomas is probably the most famous Ghanaian-Canadian musician. Other emigres include Ghanaian-American Obo Addy, the Ghanaian-Swiss Andy Vans and the Ghanaian-Dutch Kumbi Salleh. In Ghana itself during the 1980s, gospel and reggae became extremely popular. The Genesis Gospel Singers were the most widely-known gospel band. By the late 1990s, a new generation of artists discovered the so called hip-life. The originator of this style is Reggie Rockstone, a Ghanaian musician who dabbled with hip-hop in the United States before finding his unique style. Hip-life has since proliferated and spawned stars such as Reggie Rockstone, Obrafour, Akyeame and Tic Tac."

A record I found at Crewe flea market a couple of years ago. Recorded in 1961. He was a script writer for Beryl Reid and Dickie Henderson amongst others and wrote revues for the West End.

"Alan Melville was a playwright, revue author and lyricist well-known in the forties and fifties. He became a television personality and tv writer in the sixties. As far as I am aware he wrote no radio plays but some of his stage plays were adapted for radio, and Radio 4 had an Alan Melville season in 1983.

Melville was a prolific contributor to West End revues which dominated the lighter side of West End theatre. His satire was gentle, and he poked fun at the middle classes. Long-running plays of his include DEAR CHARLES, DEVIL MAY CARE, CASTLE IN THE AIR and SIMON AND LAURA. He wrote topical sketches and lyrics for revue and his SWEET AND LOW, SWEETER AND LOWER and SWEETEST AND LOWEST lasted about 2000 performances. He also wrote lyrics for Arthur Askey in the musical BET YOUR LIFE, and collaborated with Ivor Novello on his last show GAY'S THE WORD.

He moved on to television, though as a non-tv watcher I have no idea what he wrote for it. He lived in Brighton and died in 1983."

Oddity with no outer sleeve I found many years ago. A 10" LP on the Swiss Polyton label. Quaint story of an International Chalet in Switzerland told by Falk who sounds like a female Swiss equivalent of Miss Marple. I assume its for the Guides and Scouts and recorded at a conference somewhere in London althoguh the record was produced in Bern.

"In 1929, the World Committee of WAGGGS met in Holland and decided that a World Centre should be built for all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in the world to share...

Immediately Mrs Helen Storrow, a Girl Scout leader from the USA, said she would donate the money for the construction and the first four years of operation of the centre, as long as it was built in Switzerland. The World Committee agreed and appointed a Swiss Scout, Ida Von Herrenschwand, or Falk as she was known, to help Mrs Storrow find the perfect location for the new World Centre.

Choosing a siteIn June 1930, Falk and Mrs Storrow visited many places in Switzerland, but none of them seemed quite right. One perfect day they drove to the beautiful town of Aeschi. On one side there was a view of the Bernese Alps and the Lake of Thun, on the other farmland and cornfields. Mrs Storrow immediately fell in love with the area. “It comes up to all my expectations, here you can find peace for your soul”, she said.

However, Falk had concerns. Its beauty was unquestionable, but she told Mrs Storrow that she remembered that at 17 or 18 she had wanted adventure and mountain climbing and skiing – that she had not been all that concerned about her soul! Falk believed that the site was too far away from the real mountains and that the altitude was too low for winter sports. Mrs Storrow said she still wanted to suggest the site to the next World Conference. Falk told Helen Storrow that she did not want to give her opinion about the site at the World Conference, because she did not want to publicly disagree with Helen Storrow. Helen Storrow told Falk that if she was asked her opinion, then Falk should give her honest opinion and not worry about who it may upset.

At the conference, Mrs Storrow showed the photos that she had taken of Aeschi and everybody agreed that it was a lovely spot. However, after Lord Baden-Powell had asked Falk for her opinion, he told her that if she was going to make trouble about the place that had been found, then she would have to find a place on her own.

Falk eagerly accepted, and headed off with the following list of conditions from the committee: the site must be near a main train line but away from tourists there must be hotels in the neighbourhood, but it must not be a fashionable place it must be high enough for skiing in the winter and climbing in the summer, but not too high for those people with heart trouble there must be sufficient ground around and pleasant neighbours."

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Another old calypso LP on the National label from the West Indies. Made in 1966.Excuse the jumps and scratches - I think this one has been well played in the past.

Wikipedia says -

"In 1956, Sparrow won Trinidad's Carnival Road March and Calypso Monarch competitions with his most famous song, "Jean and Dinah". His prize for the latter was $40. In protest of the small sum, he wrote the song "Carnival Boycott" and attempted to organize other singers to boycott the competition. About half of the singers followed. Sparrow claims credit for succeeding improvements in the conditions of calypso and steelband musicians in Trinidad, as well as the formation of the Carnival Development Committee, a musicians' assistance organization. Sparrow refused to participate in the competition for the next three years, but he continued to perform unofficially, even winning another Road March title in 1958 with "P.A.Y.E."

Calypso music enjoyed a brief period of popularity in other parts in the world during the 1950s. Trinidadian expatriate Lord Kitchener had helped popularize calypso in England, and Sparrow also found some success there. In the United States, interest in calypso was sparked largely by Harry Belafonte's 1956 album Calypso, the first LP to sell over one million copies. In January 1958, Sparrow, along with longtime rival Lord Melody, traveled to New York City seeking access to the American music audience. Sparrow had already been recording with Balisier and Cook Records, and with Belafonte's help he also began to record for RCA Victor. He did not achieve the success he had hoped for; he said in a 2001 interview, "When nothing happened for me, I went back to England and continued on with my career."

In 1960 Sparrow returned to the Calypso Monarch competition, winning his second Kingship and third Road March title with "Ten to One Is Murder" (an autobiographical song about an incident in which Sparrow allegedly shot a man and "Mae Mae." He also began recording for his own label, National Recording. He continued to enjoy great popularity in Trinidad throughout the 1960s."

Found this 45 single today at a charity shop. Fond memories of the BBC serial that this is taken from back in the late 70's. This record was released in 1980 on the Original Records label. Written by B.Leadon and arranged by Tim Souster. The B side was written by B. Souster. Douglas Adams wrote the dialogue spoken by Peter Jones and the End Of The World Again perfomed by Disaster Area was written by Godwin/Wright.

Wikipedia says of Douglas Adams -

"Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English writer, dramatist, and musician. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television series, several stage plays, comics, a computer game, and in 2005 a feature film. Adams's contribution to UK radio is commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame.

He also wrote Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987) and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (1988), and co-wrote The Meaning of Liff (1983), Last Chance to See (1990), and three stories for the television series Doctor Who. A posthumous collection of his work, including an unfinished novel, was published as The Salmon of Doubt in 2002.

Known to some of his fans as "Bop Ad" for his illegible signature, Adams became known as an advocate for animals and the environment, and a lover of fast cars, cameras, and the Apple Mac. He was a staunch atheist, famously imagining a sentient puddle who wakes up one morning and thinks, "This is an interesting world I find myself in—an interesting hole I find myself in—fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!" The biologist Richard Dawkins dedicated his book, The God Delusion, to Adams, writing on his death that, "science has lost a friend, literature has lost a luminary, the mountain gorilla and the black rhino have lost a gallant defender."

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Two more Undercurrents radio shows from 1981 with Charlie's guests being UB40 and Joe Lung. Both talking about the independent music scene at the time. UB40 , who's debut album was high in the charts chat about their influences and how they got started and play music from The Clash and Gregory Issacs etc. as well as featuring tracks from "Signing Off" which they made in a bedroom studio in Birmingham.Joe Lung , a DJ played records in clubs like the Marquee and Moonlight and his selection of platters includes The Dancing Did and The Delta 5 etc.

Wikipedia says of UB40 -

"The band members began as friends who knew each other from various schools across Birmingham. The name "UB40" was selected in reference to the document issued to people claiming unemployment benefit from the UK government's Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) at the time of the band's formation. The designation UB40 stood for Unemployment Benefit, Form 40.

Brian Travers saved up and bought his first saxophone whilst working as an electrical apprentice for NG Bailey. leaving after a few years to become a founding member of UB40 alongside Jimmy Brown, Earl Falconer and Ali Campbell.

Before some of them could play their instruments, Ali Campbell and Brian Travers travelled around Birmingham promoting the band, putting up UB40 posters. The band purchased its first instruments from Woodroffe's Musical Instruments with £4,000 in compensation money that Campbell, who would become the lead singer, received after a bar fight during his seventeenth birthday celebration.

Their sound was created and honed through many long jam sessions at various locations in Birmingham. Their first gig took place on 9 February 1979 at The Hare & Hounds Pub in Kings Heath, Birmingham for a friend's birthday party.

UB40 caught their first break when Chrissie Hynde heard their John Peel session and gave them an opportunity as a support act to her band, The Pretenders. UB40's first single, "King"/"Food for Thought" was released on Graduate Records, a local independent label run by David Virr. It reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart.

Their first album was titled Signing Off, as the band were signing off from or closing their claim on the unemployment benefit. It was recorded in a bedsit in Birmingham and was produced by Bob Lamb. Norman Hassan said of the recording: "If you stripped my track down, you could hear the birds in the background." This is because his tracks were recorded outside in the garden. Signing Off was released on 29 August 1980, and entered the UK Albums Chart on 2 October 1980. It reached as high as No. 2 in the UK and spent 71 weeks in total on the chart. Signing Off is now a Platinum album."

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

A rather battered copy of an LP on the Discomoda label from Colombia from the 60's or maybe earlier. A great voice and wonderful band. As the name suggests these tracks are mosaics or medleys of the hits of the day one imagines.

Wikipedia says -

"Luis María Frómeta was born in Pimentel, Provincia Duarte,Republica Dominicana, on November 15, 1915; he would move with his family to San Francisco de Macorís some years later. The school he attended there had compulsory music lessons, so he learned much of his musical training there.

In 1930, at the age of 15, he founded and was the resident conductor of the Banda del Cuerpo de Bomberos de Ciudad Trujillo (Ciudad Trujillo's Fire Brigade's Band). He also founded the Orquesta Sinfónica de Santo Domingo during this time.

In 1933, he moved back to Santo Domingo. During these years, he would meet and work with some of his closest friends and associates: Freddy Coronado, Ernesto Chapuseaux and Simó Damirón, whom he already knew from school . The Conjunto Tropical and the Santo Domingo Jazz Band were formed then, as well.

Frómeta then began studying Pre-Medicine in the Universidad de Santo Domingo and had to abandon all musical activity during this time. However, he eventually dropped out on his third year to dedicate himself fully to music.Frómeta and his orchestra arrived in Venezuela in December 1937 with his orchestra to play regularly in a dance club in a Caracas, the Roof Garden. The Santo Domingo Jazz Band did well, but the club owners didn't think the name would stick- so they had Frómeta change it to something more marketeable. Frómeta went along, which got him barred from ever returning to his native Dominican Republic as Trujillo considered the change- "Billo's Caracas Boys"- an insult.

Frómeta would continue to play in Venezuela until the fall of Marcos Pérez Jiménez in 1958. Accused of being a supporter of the regime, he was barred by the Asociación Musical de D.F y Estado Miranda from ever playing in Venezuela again.

Following this, he moved to Cuba to play with a Cuban band there.

In 1960, a special session of the National Assembly was convened in Caracas. The purpose was to lift the ban passed on Billo in 1958, which was by then considered to have been unfair. That very same year, Frómeta returned to Venezuela.

On April 27, 1988, he suffered a stroke while rehearsing with the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra for a concert-tribute in his honour that would occur the very next day: just after he finished conducting the practice run for "Un Cubano en Caracas", he collapsed on the ground as the orchestra was applauding his performance. Frómeta died the following week on May 5, 1988."

A sleeveless Lp on the Siroco label from 1984 I bought for 10p some time ago. I kind of disco infused bollywood soundtrack though not sure if it is from a film or just part of the Pakistani UK pop scene back in the 80's.

Wikipedia says -

"Born into a well-to-do Karachi family, Nazia and Zoheb spent their teenage years in London. The brother and sister duo released their first album "Disco Deewane" in 1981 and became an instant hit with the title song reaching the top of the Pakistani charts. They released their second album in 1982 titled "Star/Boom Boom". It was a sensation in the Europe, Middle East, South America as well as in South East Asia. They shot to true stardom and fame as a result of the song "Aap Jaisa Koi" which Nazia Hassan sang for the Indian movie "Qurbani" made by actor/producer Feroz Khan when she was just fifteen.

After 4 albums, with 4 being huge hits in the 80s, Nazia went on to get married in 1995 which ultimately ended in divorce and Zoheb went on to handling his father's extensive business in Pakistan and the UK. He was also appointed Advisor to Governor Sindh for the Image Promotion of the Province of Sindh. Unfortunately he felt that his heart was no longer in music after the sad demise of his sister and decided to call it a day after an album dedicated to the memory of his late sister.

Nazia Hassan died of lung cancer in London on August 13, 2000 at the age of 35 at 9:15 am. Her brother Zohaib Hassan help set up a charity foundation named after her to help in creating support systems for children in need as well as providing homes for them. The foundation also sponsors awards in recognition of individuals who promote greater harmony between cultures. The recipients of these awards will be selected from all fields ranging from music and the arts to science, sport, business, engineering, humanities and charitable work, politics, etc. The Nazia Hassan Foundation seeks to promote fusion between different cultures, traditions and beliefs.

Zoheb Hassan acted in the drama serial "Kismat" in 2006 and released his solo album of the same title in 2006. This article contains official information and all the information has been confirmed by Nazia & Zoheb's Family."

I thought I had featured this LP before but couldn't find it in the list of past entries. An album on the Buena Vista label from the early 60's and a Walt Dizney production. I remember Annette from the Mickey Mouse Club back in the late 50's on TV. Some rather curious novelty songs here and a few sugary ballads.

Wikipedia says -

"Born in Utica, New York to Italian-Americans Joseph and Virginia Funicello, she took dancing and music lessons as a child to try to overcome shyness. Her family moved to Southern California when she was four years old.

In 1955, the 12-year-old was discovered by Walt Disney as she performed as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake at a dance recital in Burbank, California. On the basis of this appearance, Disney cast her as one of the original "Mouseketeers". She was the last to be selected, and the only one picked by Walt Disney. She soon proved to be very popular. By the end of the first season of Mickey Mouse Club, she was receiving 6,000 letters a month, according to her Disney Legends biography.

In addition to appearing in many of the Mouseketeers' sketches and dance routines, Funicello starred or co-starred in a number of serials on The Mickey Mouse Club. These included Adventure in Dairyland, her own self-titled serial, Walt Disney Presents: Annette (which co-starred Richard Deacon), and the second and third Spin and Marty serials,The Further Adventures of Spin and Marty and The New Adventures of Spin and Marty. It was in a hayride scene in the Annette serial that she performed the song that was to launch her singing career. The studio received so much fan mail about "How Will I Know My Love," written by the Sherman Brothers, that Walt Disney decided to issue it as a single, and to give Funicello, somewhat unwillingly, a recording contract."

Having lived in the East End of London for some years I was always dazzled by the exotic looking Bollywood record sleeves I used to see down Brick Lane- in the Indian and Pakistani shops and the flea market. After a while I began buying them just to see what lie beneath the gaudy sleeve art and was delighted with some of the finds. The film soundtrack "Dhongee" was one such find and the name Asha Bhosle soon became very firmiliar to me as she seemed to be on most Indian film soundtracks I came across! She has the most amazing voice as you can hear on this first track from "Dhongee" which was released in 1975. The music direction was by Rahul Dev Burman.

Delighted to find this rarity at the Help The Aged the other day - an LP soundtrack of a film, the first feature, by Dick Lester who went on to direct the Beatles first two films "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help". The motely selection of clean cut pop crooners and jazz bands are what mostly filled the U.K. charts before the beat boom a few months later.

"Lester's first movie was a 1962 cheapie about the resurgent traditional jazz movement, "It's Trad, Dad" (released in the United States as "Ring-a-Ding Rhythm"). With the trad-jazz boomlet fading even as the movie was nearing completion, Lester improvised by hiring Chubby Checker to do a twist number near the end. Next came "Mouse on the Moon," a sequel to the Sellers hit "The Mouse That Roared" (minus Sellers). While these epics may not have secured Lester's place in the film pantheon, they would prove significant in unforeseen ways. It was through "Mouse on the Moon" that Lester met producer Walter Shenson. And it was one of the musicians featured in "It's Trad, Dad" who played Lester some records he'd bought after hearing a group in Liverpool's Cavern Club."